As you may be aware, in October the Mayor of London (Boris Johnson) called in the Convoys Wharf planning application submitted by developer Hutchison Whampoa. He was obliged to hold a public hearing before making his final decision and that hearing took place yesterday (March 31st). I attended the meeting at City Hall, along with residents and representatives of various local interest groups. The Mayor heard evidence from the GLA’s Senior Strategic Planner, Lewisham Council and the developer’s planning agent, as well as seven representatives from the local community who wished to raise objections. Although time was very short, I had the opportunity to speak briefly in support of the Sayes Court Garden and Build The Lenox projects. Years of research and expertise have gone into designing these projects and they provide two fantastic opportunities to honour the unique heritage of Henry VIII’s naval shipyard whilst creating a new destination steeped in the area’s magnificent history. After considering all contributions the Mayor decided to approve Hutchison Whampoa’s plans, subject to a Section 106 agreement requiring City Hall planners to meet with Lewisham and the developer to come up with a workable scheme for Sayes Court Garden. Mr Johnson also called on the developer to fund a feasibility study into the Build The Lenox project to examine how it might be incorporated into the regeneration scheme and to contribute to the most feasible option. The Mayor’s decision to support feasibility studies for both projects and the financial contributions that the developer must make are very encouraging. We have not got everything we wanted, but there’s still a long way to go and we will be actively involved in discussing the Section 106 agreement which will determine how much benefit comes to the local community as this vast development gets underway.